Polls Open For Senate, Municipal Elections

Czechs go to the polls on Friday and Saturday to cast their ballots in municipal elections and elections to one third of the Senate, the upper house of Parliament. A second round of voting in the Senate elections will take place next weekend, for contestants who fail to win 50 percent of the vote.

The elections are seen as a test of the ruling ANO party’s ability to win support at the local level. The Civic Democrats and Pirates are hoping to extend their gains made in last year’s national elections, while other major parties including the Social Democrats and TOP 09 are fighting for survival.

Many analysts are predicting a redrawing of political allegiances and a major consolidation on the right, after the elections.